It was truly a “pom micheotda” (a slang word used to express something remarkable) moment during PULP Live World’s RUNNING MAN RUN 2 U Live in Manila last Saturday, July 4, 2024 at MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The arena was filled with excited and eager Filo runners. Some were dressed in the signature Running Man style, complete with tags, while others sported outfits inspired by their favorite Running Man members.

What we initially expected to be just a fan meeting surpassed our expectations. The event lasted nearly four hours, kicking off with performances by the cast of Running Man Philippines. Their vibrant song and dance numbers effectively energized the audience and set a high bar for the remainder of the show.

Delighting the fans by singing one of BTS’s well-loved songs, “Spring Day,” Yoo Jae Seok, Ji Suk Jin, Yang Sechan, HAHA, Song Ji Hyo, and Kim Jong Kook were greeted by the fans with loud cheers when they came out on stage.

Kring Kim and Ryan Bang, the emcees for the evening, warmly welcomed the cast of Running Man and engaged in a chitchat about what they had for breakfast, their favorite Filipino dishes, and what they had prepared for their dear “Runners” for this special fan meeting.

In the first segment of the show, games were designed for the cast and fans to interact and have fun. The first game, “What is Next,” required Running Man members to guess the next line a fellow member said from a selected edited clip of some entertaining episodes. This was followed by “All About K-POP.” In the first part of this game, members engaged with fans to correctly answer questions. Three songs were played simultaneously, and they had to identify all the songs. In the second part, members had to guess the song based on a staff member’s dance. After being hyped from playing games, the members prepared for the next segment: Solo Stages.

Running Man’s Ace Ji Hyo appeared on stage in a cute and lovely outfit while performing Bibi’s “Bam Yang Gang“. Different from her usual Running Man persona, queen Ji Hyo gave a sweet and memorable performance. To continue the sweet atmosphere, Ji Suk Jin‘s honey vocals serenaded the crowd with a cover of “All of Me.” To everyone’s delight, Yang Se Chan changed up the atmosphere and gave a fun (and funny) performance. Dressed as Queen’s Freddie Mercury, he sang parts of one of the iconic band’s hits, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” This also served as a reminder that Se Chan isn’t just a comedian, he is also a versatile entertainer with amazing vocals. Retaining the festive mood, HAHA gave a special performance of “Ice Bottle“— a song perfect for describing the whole tone of the event—along with SRG, a duo he produced. Creating a mellow atmosphere, Kim Jong Kook made the fans swoon with his sentimental songs “Han Namja (One Man)” and “Spring Has Come.” He may have an intimidating physique but once he sings, you can’t help but feel the love in the air. Last but not the least, Korea’s National MC, Yoo Jae Seok “summoned” trot singer “Yoo Jae Sul” and performed “Redemption of Love.”

Cosplay Running Man was the next segment of the fan meeting turned fan concert. Running Man played a relay game wherein they had to dress up based on the costumes prepared for them. They had no idea what kind of costume they would be getting but we ended up with Bunny Jin, Snow Jong Kook, Ji Hulk, Aegi Seok, Bee Chan, and Super HAHA. Days before the actual event, PULP selected the best entries from Pinoy Running Man fans who were able to cosplay the best. Winners had a chance to play games and be with the cast on stage as well.

For the Unit Stages, SRG was able to perform for the first time in front of a Pinoy crowd. As a new duo, Sulreggae (SRG) had awesome stage presence and delivered an energetic performance of “Baby, Be Mine,” they were also joined by HAHA and Se Chan in performing “Dang Digi Bang.” The next stage was one of the highlights that evening: Kim Jong Kook’s and Song Ji Hyo’s unit stage. It was very evident that majority are “SpartAce” fans. Kilig vibes was felt all throughout their favorite couple’s duet. Next up was Suk Jin, Se Chan, and Ji Hyo’s fun performance followed by another unit stage that once again summoned “Saeb Saeb” (Se Chan dressed as Freddie Mercury) on stage along with Ji Hyo, HAHA, and Yoo Jae Seok (both were dressed in horse costumes).

To celebrate Running Man’s 14th Anniversary this July 11, fans prepared a cake which led to the obligatory photo op with all the fans in the venue. Just when we thought that the show was about to come to an end. There were still a lot of performances in store for us. All of the Running Man members sang “I Like It,” an unreleased song from one of their episodes, and the crowd favorite Kim Jong Kook song, Sarang Surowo (Loveable)—which is still trending on Tiktok despite the song being released 15 years ago, before finally concluding their event. While performing these songs for the finale, Yoo Jae Suk, HAHA, Yang Se Chan, Kim Jong Kook, Ji Suk Jin, and Song Ji Hyo gave the most unforgettable fan service PH Runners will cherish forever.

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Running Man RUN 2 U LIVE in MANILA is made possible by PULP Live World.